The thing is, Roscop, that because it is so unusual for a woman to be a crane driver perhaps everyone wanted her to succeed and made allowances, even though she seems to have been an unsuitable candidate. There is no reason why women cannot drive cranes as well (or as badly) as men. How do they select trainee crane drivers? I can't imagine ordinary driving skills would be much of an indicator but I'm sure testosterone levels don't have anything to do with it.

Roscop, if you don't believe a male police commissioner talking about the extent of domestic violence, then there is no point talking to you!

As far as the jail issue goes, we all know it is all the females fault if they get a good hiding from the men in their lives, so there aren't nearly enough court convictions as there should be...

Spend a bit of time in the emergency rooms of your local hospital and maybe you might see how it really is. Many frightened women won't even say who hurt them, so the problem is even worse than you can imagine.

We are still a long way from equality with men in our society, so pat yourself on the back for that fact.

Let me say first that the idea of driving a crane leaves me cold....but perhaps this woman was denied all the paraphernalia of boys toys as a child? LEGO, for instance, provides any number of daring-do type toys for daring-do type boys. They get to build cities, explore the universe, go sea-faring with poirates...aaarrrhh.

And girls get something called "Friends" where they basically get together and...well...chat. They get to play fairies and to make things that look like cupcakes which when dried they can hang upon their person...all good training for crane driving no doubt.

Although: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-24/girls-with-guns-27-gender-nuetral27-toy-catalogue/4390080

Have to say that I'm a little confused about where I stand on feminism, so it's difficult not to laugh at that toy catalogue.

My daughter, when she was young, loved her LEGO, which at the time didn't really cater specifically for girls - she bought the pirates and the knights and other boy oriented sets, all of which has been handed down to her younger brother.

Candide I'd go along with what you say "The thing is, Roscop, that because it is so unusual for a woman to be a crane driver perhaps everyone wanted her to succeed and made allowances, even though she seems to have been an unsuitable candidate. " Yes I can just imagine the guys getting their hopes up and tripping over each other trying to help the 44 yo solo mum.

Take the situation of the female first officer on a winter flight into Buffalo NY. The FO retracted the flaps when the aircraft was on the verge of stalling because of ice build-up on the wings. Just prior to that she was telling the captain about her inexperience in flying in icing conditions. Buffalo can get around 14 feet of snow in winter. Add to that the FO was apparently ill with a cold & tired (it would never be said that a female pilot suffered debilitating period pains because that would be an admission that the physiological differences between men and women can affect job performance). Since the accident resulting in 50 people now dead, there has been a lot of effort gone into putting all the focus on the male captain's performance.

Candide, you don't need “evidence” for an opinion. All I ever do is state my perceptions and opinions.
Much of what people “decide” is done subconsciously. I need “evidence” for this?
Should I also reinvent the wheel while I'm at it?

Suseonline “why are you raving about racism?”

Because of the correlation between the two utopian agendas (feminism, multiculturalism/anti-racism) often promoted by the same people, using the same unrealistic phony arguments.

It isn't just “men”, it is primarily WHITE men who are being shut out.
Caught a taxi lately? Gone to a petrol station? A supermarket?
Seen any *White* men working there?

“vast majority of perpetrators of violence are men”

Yes, violence *against* men, by men.
But “To violence against men, Australia says Whatever!”
.
Cheryl “I'm not so sure shockadelic that this is a society issue.”

Of course, the declines in male employment and boy's education are just their personal fault.

These are *general trends*, which you facetiously compare with individual behaviour.

Are wife-murder and abuse going up, up, up all the time?
Are they significantly more prevalent than 30 years ago?

Rhrosty “ensure truly equal treatment in all areas of life”
“by passing laws and legislation”

Arrgh!
The last thing we need is more regulatory interference, trying to achieve impossible utopian ends.
You can't “legislate” personal capabilities.

Roscop “Yes I can just imagine the guys getting their hopes up and tripping over each other trying to help the 44 yo solo mum.”

Men “test” other men who are new to a workplace. They want to see you really have what it takes.
Perhaps they “test” women a little harder. But not necessarily because they want her to fail, they secretly want her to prove them wrong, and when she does, she's “a jolly good fellow” too.

Oh yes Shockadelic, those poor 'white men'.
One only needs to look around the world to see how badly off all those white men are!
Are you for real?